Roast Chicken slathered with a garlic-herb-lemon butter then oven roasted to golden crispy perfection.
Juicy on the inside, and served with liquid gold pan juices loaded with flavour, this is THE Roast Chicken recipe you’ll make over and over again!
The best Roast Chicken recipe is….
….. juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside with golden skin that’s buttery and herby and garlicky with just a subtle perfume of lemon to remind you it’s there without overwhelming.
It creates its own pan juices that’s used as the sauce for the chicken. This stuff is liquid gold!
This is the chicken version of the Herb and Garlic Butter Roasted Turkey Breast I shared for Christmas / Thanksgiving last year. I’ve lost count of how many messages there were asking for a chicken version – and I’m finally sharing it!
How to make the BEST roast chicken!
The best roast chicken has garlic herb butter under and on the skin, is stuffed with lemon and herbs, roasted until it’s crispy and deep golden on the outside, and juicy on the inside.
It’s really easy to prepare a whole chicken for roasting. The trick is to use an upside down dessert spoon to loosen the skin – the shape hugs the curves of the chicken and it doesn’t tear the skin.
Then simply spoon the garlic-herb-butter under the skin then spread it from the outside. OR hold it upright and drizzle in (see photos below) – whatever you find easier!
TIP: Use most of the butter under the skin, that’s where you get the most bang for your buck. Plus, garlic burns on the skin so you don’t want too much on the surface.
After the chicken is all buttered up, place it on a bed of garlic and onion. This serves two purposes:
-
Elevates the chicken off the base of the pan for more even cooking (otherwise the underside sits in the pan juices and will cook faster); and
-
Adds extra flavour into the pan juices used as the sauce for this recipe. OR used for gravy!
How to make the BEST roast chicken (cont’d)
I like to stuff the chicken with a wedges of lemon and a couple of sprigs of rosemary. Not so much for the flavour, because in truth, you can just barely taste it. It’s more for the perfume you get when you cut into the chicken so it seems like you can taste it.
And this is the reason why I do not put garlic inside oven roasted chicken. There’s no point – it doesn’t get hot enough to make any difference to flavour and just steams.
Flavour bomb set, now it’s time for the easy part – roasting.
How long does it take to roast a 2 kg chicken?
10 minutes at 220C/450F, then 1 hr 15 minutes at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear.
The formula is: 10 minutes at 220C/450F, then 20 minutes for every 500g/1lb at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear.
But….. I want gravy!!
OK OK, hold the tantrum! It’s all good! I have the gravy recipe in the notes.😇
But really, give the liquid gold a go one of these days…. It’s crazy good! I mean, it’s garlic butter. Infused with herb flavours and a hint of lemon. Mingling with roasted chicken juices.
Watch the video. It tastes even better than it looks! – Nagi x
More whole chicken recipes
-
Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken (set and forget!)
-
Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk (seriously delish!)
-
Chicken Noodle Soup – from scratch!
What to do with leftovers?
Use it to make epic Bread Bowl Sandwich, Chicken Pasta Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad or toss it into a Frittata or Omelette! salad
Best of Sunday Supper Roasts
Roast Chicken recipe
Watch how to make it
Sometimes it helps to have a visual – so watch me make this Roast Chicken recipe!
Roast Chicken recipe originally published May 2016, improved May 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters January 2019, no change to recipe. It’s perfect as is! 🙂
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Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.75 - 2 kg / 3.5 - 4lb whole chicken , patted dry
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 3 rosemary sprigs
Butter:
- 100 g / 1 stick unsalted butter , melted
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tbsp sage , finely chopped (Note 1)
- 2 tsp rosemary , finely chopped (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp parsley , finely chopped (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper
Under Chook:
- 1 cup / 250 ml dry white wine , or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 onion , quartered (Note 2)
- 1 garlic bulb , halved horizontally (Note 2)
Instructions
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
- Preheat oven to 220C/450F (standard) or 200C/430F (fan/convection). Put shelf in the middle.
- Mix together Butter ingredients. Add juice from 2 wedges of lemon.
- Place chicken in a roasting pan. Use a dessert spoon to loosen skin from chicken (see video). Do the top (the breast) and the drumsticks – not the underside.
- Prop chicken upright, drizzle butter under skin, using most of the garlic/herb sludge, but saving a bit of butter for the skin (Note 3).
- Drizzle / smear remaining butter all over surface of the chicken. Squeeze over juice of 2 lemon wedges.
- Stuff used lemon wedges and rosemary inside chicken.
- Tie drumstick ends with string and tuck wing tips under the chicken.
- Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.
- Place onion and garlic in the pan, place chicken on top. Pour wine around, drizzle chicken with oil.
- Transfer to oven. Roast for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 180C/350F (all oven types). Roast for a further 1 hr 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear when pierced at the join between the drumstick and the body. Baste twice (30 min then at 1 hr), spooning pan juices over skin.
- Rest for 15 minutes – don’t cover, skin becomes wet.
- Serve with pan juices (see video for how to carve). I discard onion but use the garlic in the pan. See notes for side suggestions & how to use carcass for incredible homemade broth!
Recipe Notes:
50 g / 3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp / 40 g flour (any white)
2 cups / 500 ml liquid from pan topped up with low sodium chicken broth Melt butter over medium heat, add flour, stir for 1 minute. Add half the liquid while whisking. Once incorpoated and lump free, add remaining liquid. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring regularly, until gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 5. COOK TIMES: 10 minutes at 220C/450F, then 20 minutes for every 500g/1lb at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 75C/165F or until juices run clear. This assumes the chicken was taken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. If it’s fridge cold, add another 10 minutes to the cook time. 6. TYING DRUMSTICKS: I find it easiest to use one piece of string, wrap string around one leg, then yank the other leg closer and wrap string around that one to. Then once string is around both of them, it's much easier to handle to use the string to pull then together then wrap the string around both of them tightly so they are crossed over each other. 7. CARCASS and leftover bits/juices: Scrape it all into a pot or slow cooker, add water so water is about 2.5cm / 1" above chicken. Add 2 tsp Vegeta or chicken stock powder or 2 crumbled cubes, celery, carrot and a few garlic cloves (chunky pieces) and a few sprigs of fresh herbs like thyme/rosemary/parsley OR 1 tsp dried herbs. Simmer 1 hour / slow cooker 6 hours, strain. Pick out/off bits of chicken to use in soup. Use as incredible broth for Chicken Noodle Soup or Chicken Rice Soup. 8. SIDES: Roast potatoes (cut, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs, roast under chicken for 40 minutes), mashed potato or cauliflower, or garlic bread. Also try Potatoes au Gratin or Easy Cheesy Potato Bake - can make ahead then reheat in oven quickly. Pictured on the very edge of photo in post is this Kale Quinoa Salad (I often have it on hand as it lasts for days and days). Other great salads: Corn Salad with Avocado and Tomato, Roast Pumpkin Spinach Salad, a garden salad with Italian or French Dressing. 9. Nutrition assumes 1.2kg / 2.4lb of meat, remainder is bones discarded. Also assumes all pan juices are consumed which they probably won't be, also you lose some in the onion/garlic/discarded chicken.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Like a mohawk – gone wrong. (Aftermath of a knee operation he had back in May 2018 when this recipe was first published…)
Marisa Franca says
That is our method — great minds think alike. You’ve tweaked it a bit and I like your version. Hubby even does that to the turkey breast. And oh poor Dozer!! He must feel naked. Give him a big hug from me and one for you too.
Nagi says
I LOVE that this is your method too!! Validates it!! N xx
Brooke says
Looks awesome, but I would make a paste of 1 tablespoon rock salt and 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic and coat the bird with it, and place two lemons, poked 20 times each in the cavity, cooking it for 20 minutes per pound at 400 degrees. Nagi, you recipe looks wonderful, but this is easy, doesn’t use fatty butter, makes the bird very moist, …but thank you for your recipe. I hope you will try mine!!
Nagi says
Brooke! One more question please – do you crush the rock salt to make a paste?? If you don’t, does it stick ok on the sides??? Sorry for all the questions! (I feel like one of my readers when asking questions about one of MY recipes! 😂)
Brooke says
Hi Nagi … I use what we call “Kosher salt’ out her which is the coarse Kosher salt has bigger pieces than regular salt. I do not crush it and there is not need to. I mix it with teaspoon of finely chopped garlic (confession … I even use pre-chopped garlic that comes in a jar …!!!sometimes) The paste always stays on the bird and never falls off. You don’t need to worry about having a thick layer of paste all over the bird .. it never falls off and it always seems to work, as long as you rub the entire bird in a thin layer of the paste. I never worry about whether I have evenly covered the bird.. trust me, this recipe is very easy and always seems to work. And I enjoy all of your questions and look forward to your thoughts. Do Not forget the lemons, and put in potatoes, carrots, an onion, a parsnip and whatever else you might want to roast. Enjoy!!
Nagi says
Gotcha! We have that here too, we call it cooking salt 🙂 I look forward to trying this, I have a chook in the fridge! N x
Brooke says
Can’t wait until you try this, as with your amazing, I know that you will make it better….Enjoy and thank you so much for all of your terrific and wonderful recipes!!
Nagi says
OH YUM!!! I am totally trying that one of these days! I was actually thinking yesterday about trying a “healthy” version and pulling the skin off, adding a crust of some sort 🙂 N xx
James T Galbreath says
A great looking recipe! I use the cast iron frying pan method, coat the bird with toasted sesame oil, and stuff with a whole onion cut in half or quarters. Cover with herbs and spices. (Your combo looks tasty!) Roast at 425 degrees for 15 min, then turn down to 375 for 50 min or more until meat temp is right. The onion comes out cooked and yet still crunchy instead of soft and slimy. The pan juices make exceptional gravy because of the sesame oil, without adding more butter. (Tip 1: Important, make sure the chicken is really thawed all the way through!) (Tip 2: For extra crisp skin, uncover in fridge for a while before preparing.)
Nagi says
YUUUUMMM! I don’t think I’ve ever made chicken with sesame oil, I wanna try! N xx
Kari says
What would you suggest for a chicken that is whole but already cut up?
Nagi says
HI Kari! It would be wonderful – just do the same butter under skin thing, place them in a tray, put the lemon and rosemary under them, pour wine around, roast skin side up uncovered for 50 minutes, basting once at 30 minutes 🙂 180C/350F. N x
Wynn says
Soooooo glad to see Dozer up on his feet and without a lift-harness or collar!!!! Does he still need the collar when at rest so he doesn’t lick and worry the sutures or the healing incision? And, if so, will he need to have it on for much longer? I’m happy to see how well he’s doing, in any case!
The chicken looks amazing! It’s probably a good thing that you’ve needed to update some recipe photos, since some readers may have missed some of these “must have” recipes if they’d started following your blog after you’d posted many of these. Everyone who eats chicken needs a really great roast chicken recipe that’s great for any time, but also worthy of making for guests. This chicken looks eminently company-worthy.
Nagi says
All done on the collar, thanks for your well wishes Wynn!! His scar is healing nicely and he’s up and about 🙂 Almost back to his usual self – hard part will be keeping him QUIET!!! N xx
Wynn says
Oh, and…. The carcass bones popped into a pot or slow cooker later, will make a wonderful soup broth, too, with some water, a couple of bouillon cubes, onions, celery and some pepper and herbs. I usually wrap and secure the cleaned bones in cheese cloth, so I can skip the straining step, by just lifting them out, instead, and then add in any leftover chicken, and some diced carrots with noodles, rice, or pearled barley for a tasty chicken encore performance.
Nagi says
YES!! Wynn, thank you for that, I will add a note in the recipe! N xx
Karen Dolan says
Hi Nagi
Can’t wait to make this chook! Looks so luscious!! One thing I’m wondering about is the olive oil … it’s not mentioned in the recipe but it is in the video. Use it? About how much?
Karen
Nagi says
Hi Karen! I see it 3rd from the top of the ingredients, is it there for you? 🙂 N x
Karen Dolan says
Hi Nagi
Of course it’s there! That’s just like me, speeding through things.
Karen
Diane says
Hi Nagi,
So great to see Dozer up and about..will be up to doing his thing real soon!
Awesome chicken recipe (can’t go wrong with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs) and will definitely try this instead of buying one prepared at the market. It’s easier for only the two of us, but nothing beats one home made…and (I’m with Patricia on this one), hubby always knows it’s a Nagi recipe 🙂 Can’t go wrong!!
Hugs to you and Dozer…
Nagi says
It’s a bitterly cold morning today and you just brightened it up considerably!! 🙂 N xx
Bev says
Hi Dozer!
So great to see you movin’ and groovin’ big guy! Be good and don’t rush things. We want to see all healed so mom can post pics of you ‘Dozer-ing’ real soon.
Hi Nagi!
Great timing on this post – I just bought two chickens yesterday. Looking forward to trying your recipe. Thanks.
Nagi says
He is moving’ and groovin’ aplenty inside his pen.. 🙄
Gillian DidierSerre says
Wow the chicken looks good enough to eat NOW
Dozer I love your new look..be careful when you walk NO CHASING stuff out in the yard YET woof advice from your Canadian Pal Luca 🐕
Nagi says
He is plastered to my side at all times now when outside the house! Leashed even for 💩💩💩 !!!
Martha B says
That is some great looking chicken. Can’t wait to try it.
Yay! So happy to see Dozer up on his own. No more harness!
Nagi says
That harness was soooo handy… kinda like carrying giant grocery bags!! 😂
Patricia Gail says
Going to have to try this – soon!!!
All of the recipes that I’ve made from your site have been delicious Nagi! Truly, my husband says – it this is Nagi recipe :-),……he seems to know when it is! Thanks for making me look good, and cook even better.
And Dozer…..ah! we have had so many animal friends over the years, and we loved them all…….Dozer appears to be doing well – awesome – he has a good ‘mama’ to take care of him. Good Job Dozer….keep working at it – and a special wee treat for him o.k. Nagi! Not too much though, we want him to get better and be up and about in the pool, etc…….makes me smile each time I see his pic.
Take care, and thanks again for all the wonderful recipes…..going to be making the One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese over the next day or so.
Northern Ontario Gail
Nagi says
You flatter me Patricia!!And thank you for the lovely message re: Dozer 🙂 It’s so nice to see him almost back to normal! N xx
Shashi at SavorySpin says
I so need to try this – your chicken is deliciously moist and ooh those herbs!
Nagi says
And hard to go wrong with all that BUTTER, eh?? 😂
Dahn says
It’s good to see Dozer up and moving. He doesn’t seem to mind the odd haircut. Some things are more important, like fresh air and green grass!! That chicken looks heavenly and I love the liquid gold!!!
Nagi says
It really is so nice that he’s up and about again. It was so sad when he was too sore to move!! N xx
Jonathan Schrauer says
Nice to see Dozer up on his feet. Not sure if he was ready to go to sleep or bemused with the inflatable collar. Now just needs to begin building muscle tone. Hope all’s well!
Nagi says
I was shocked to see how much his muscle had wasted away! 😩 Though the vet tells me it’s been wasting since he first started having knee problems so it’s been almost a year I guess. 🙁 N xx
Brooke says
This looks fabulous but as you have shared so many wonderful recipes with me, I am going to share this with you for roast chicken, which is similar to your wonderful new crispy roast pork recipe. I got this recipe from the food writer, Michelle Huneven: Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (1) Wash the bird and pat dry; (2) Create a paste that is made up of 1 Tablespoon of Kosher salt and one teaspoon of garlic; (3) Cover the bird in the paste; (4) Take two lemons and poke each with a fork for 20 times, all over each lemon; (5) Put the 2 lemons in the cavity of the bird; (6) Place the bird in a pan and add sides of baby carrots, cut-up potatoes, parsnip, and/or brussel sprouts; (7) Cover the carrots, cut-up potatoes, parsnips or brussel spouts with salt and pepper to taste and some olive oil; (8) Place the chicken in the over and bake for 20 minutes per pound and until the juices run clear … You should get a very moist bird with a delicious crispy skin … Hope you enjoy this and All best, Brooke P.S. — If the bird gets brown too quickly, do not be afraid to tent the bird with foil while it cooks.
Nagi says
So Brooke, no oil on the chicken after putting the garlic salt paste on??
brooke says
No oil. Just pop it in the oven. Don’t forget to put the two lemons, which you have put holes in 20 times, in the cavity of the bird. If the bird is browning too quickly, you can tent it with foil. Can’t wait to see your reaction.
Nagi says
Can’t wait!! N x
Nagi says
WOAH! OK, this might even be made this weekend. I’ve never made a roast chicken with a garlic salt paste before! Thank you so much for sharing that! And pricking the lemons – that’s so clever! N xx
Priscilla says
Made this twice in two weeks, had to omit the lemon from the bed because the juice from the first one was overpowered by the lemon (or maybe I did something wrong lol). The second one, I made with a bed of carrots, marble potatoes, onion and garlic and it turned out DELICIOUS!!! Thank you for this recipe especially the roasting times (they’re a huge help!). I had about 15 recipes from this site printed in one go and I can’t wait to try them all. 🤤
Much love from the Philippines ❤️
Nagi says
That’s wonderful to hear Priscilla! Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed this! N xx
Heng Nin Sum says
Tried this recipe yeaterday for the first time and all thumbs up from the family of 20.
Thank you for making me special, Nagi.
Nagi says
You made roast chicken for 20 PEOPLE? I bow to you 😂
Ashley says
I mean seriously??! 20??! I bow too!
Nagi says
😂
Cheryl Pounds says
JUST GOT DONE WITH DINNER! HUSBAND LOVED THE CRISPY SKIN! CHICKEN SO JUICY AND FLAVORFUL!! WILL DO THIS ONE AGAIN!!
Nagi says
WHOOT! So glad you loved this one Cheryl!! N xx
Hilary says
Who needs gravy when the cookingnliquid is so good, and the chicken to die for as it is! Your slow cooker chicken is fab and this one comes pretty close with half the effort. I popped in some hasselback potatoes , spinach and the carrots, a hint of lemon – my world was complete.
Leftover chicken is going to make homemade creamy chicken soup, yeh
Nagi says
I love hearing that Hilary!!! So glad you enjoyed it! N xx
Jenni says
Cooked this chicken tonight and it was so moist, and the recommended cooking times worked perfectly. I think hubby mentioned that it was moist a half dozen times during dinner. Looking forward to leftover chicken and salad tomorrow for lunch. The flavours are subtle but yummy and the crispy skin worked a treat.
Nagi says
BA HA HA!!! I love that – I hate he word “moist” but there is NO sub and I use it ALOT TOO!!! N x
Ray says
Hello Nagi,
” … I hate he word “moist” but there is NO sub and I use it ALOT TOO!!! N ”
Just a one word question, “Why?” (do you hate the word).
I believe that I read that it is one of the most disliked words in both Oz and the UK … but nobody explained why!
I cooked your scone recipe last week. I live in rural NSW with lots of farmers’ wives around, who pride themselves on their home cooking/baking – with scones a speciality! Your recipe absolutely slayed them! They all wanted to know how a bloke could produce such stunning scones! I told them that my favourite girl-friend gave me her recipe!!
I’ll use her chicken recipe for the week-end roast!
Nagi says
It creeps me out!!! I don’t know why!! I LOVE that your scones “stayed” them 😂 Move over CWA! You crack me up Ray! N xx
Ray says
Hello Nagi,
Thanks for your reply.
Being fairly new to your blog I am sticking to fairly familiar recipes and, being English(!!), last night I cooked “Bangers and mash” ! It is basically the same recipe that my mother used – except … mum dis-liked garlic and thus never cooked with it!
What a terrific difference!
So much more of your magic word … “flavour” … and the sausages were really (ahem) moist!!
I roughly chopped a couple of cloves of garlic and boiled them with the potatoes and thus had garlic flavoured mash … more flavour!!
Yeah!!!! Move over CWA!!! There’s a new kid on the block!!! R xx
Nagi says
😂 You crack me up Ray!! N xx
Norma says
Try these:
– Juicy
– Succulent
– Luscious
Nagi says
Can you write my recipe descriptions for me?? 😂